Happy Opening Day 2024!
The Boston Celtics Blow Another Huge Lead and the LeBron-less Lakers top the Bucks again.
FUN FACT FRIDAY
Since Opening Day for the 2024 MLB season was on Thursday, March 28, I thought doing a FUN FACT about Major League Baseball would be fun.
Last season, the Texas Rangers won their first World Series in franchise history, and they’ll be looking to go back-to-back. If the Rangers do go on to win a second straight championship, they’d be the first to do so since the New York Yankees did it from 1998-2000, when they won three straight.
NBA: Celtics Blow Another 20+ Point Lead On the Road
Back on March 5 in Cleveland, OH, the Boston Celtics blew a 22-point lead in the final nine minutes to lose against the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-104. The Celtics couldn’t possibly blow another sizable lead on the road, could they?
Well…
The Celtics headed down to Atlanta, GA, to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, March 25. With approximately 4:30 to go in the second quarter, the Celtics took a 30-point lead at 68-38, and it looked like they were going to cruise to an easy victory. However, the Hawks came storming back to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, as Atlanta defeated Boston 120-118. The Celtics are the second team in the last 25 seasons to blow a 30-point lead when entering the day with the best record in the NBA. The 30-point lead the Celtics blew is the largest blown lead since 1996-97 for the team.
Pictured Above: Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) reacts after hitting a three-point basket late in the second half against the Boston Celtics in Atlanta. The Hawks won 105-104.
NBA: LeBron-less Lakers Defeat Giannis and the Bucks in a Double OT Thriller
Back on March 8, the Los Angeles Lakers squeaked out a 123-122 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks in LA without the services of “The King” LeBron James in a thrilling game that went right down to the final seconds. The two teams would lock antlers (pun intended) for the second and final time this season up in Milwaukee, WI, on March 26. Since the Lakers and the Bucks are in different conferences, Tuesday night marked LA’s only trip to Milwaukee, so it had to be a little deflating for Bucks fans that they didn’t get to see LeBron go against Giannis Antetokounmpo, as it’s a marquee matchup when they collide.
With approximately 8:25 remaining in regulation, the Lakers trailed the Bucks by 19. The Lakers had every reason to wave the white flag, especially because it was the first night of a back-to-back (they played in Memphis on Wednesday), and it was the first game of a six-game road trip. Instead, they chose to continue scratching, clawing, and fighting. The Lakers had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds of regulation, as guard Austin Reaves had a wide open look from 30 feet with 0.8 seconds left but saw his heave hit the backboard and spin off the rim, sending the game into overtime. With 1:29 remaining in the first overtime, the Bucks hit a 3-pointer to knot things up at 111. The Lakers would punch back on the following possession to re-take the lead at 113-111 with just a little over a minute left. From there, both teams would trade punches that resulted in a 117-117 tie, meaning a second overtime period was required.
The first basket in the second OT didn’t come until there was 1:53 left when Bucks star guard Damian Lillard got a fast-break opportunity which he finished off with a dunk to give Milwaukee a 119-117 lead. The Lakers would strike back to tie the game up at 119 thanks to a layup from Reaves. The two teams continued to go blow-for-blow down the stretch but eventually, the Lakers were able to put the game away 128-124 thanks to two monstrous free throws from All-Star forward Anthony Davis.
The Lakers did not have a lead in regulation and were down by as much as 19 early in the fourth quarter. This was tied for the second-biggest comeback of the season for the Lakers, falling short of only their 21-point comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers late last month.
Reaves (29 points), Davis (34 points), and guard D’Angelo Russell (29 points) combined for 92 points in the Lakers victory.
Click on the video below to watch the ending to one of the wildest games I’ve ever seen.
Pictured Above: Los Angeles Lakers' D'Angelo Russell drives past Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
NBA: Donte DiVincenzo Shoots His Way to a Knicks‘ 3-Point Record
On Monday, the New York Knicks routed the Detroit Pistons 124-99 in front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden, but this was no ordinary beat-down by New York, as it was also a record-setting night for Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo, who went for 40 points and hit 11 3-pointers in the process, breaking the Knicks' all-time record for a single game.
Donte DiVincenzo Sets Knicks Single-Game Three-Pointer RecordClick here to read more about this story courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
NFL: Browns Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam Say Stadium Options are $1B Renovation or a New $2B Dome Outside City
Where are the Cleveland Browns going to call home? This question has been at the center of conversation for a while now, but it seems like we might be ( I emphasize, MIGHT), closing in on a solution of some kind to this situation. Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam say the team is down to two options when it comes to their future stadium site: A $1 billion renovation to their existing stadium or a domed stadium outside of the city at double the cost. The Haslams addressed the situation while in Orlando, FL, at the NFL Owners Meetings. At this point, neither option is standing out from the rest right now. One of those options is to purchase 176 acres of land in Brook Park, not far from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
“County sources told 3News Investigates' Lynna Lai that the Haslams began floating the idea of a new $2 billion stadium outside of downtown Cleveland last summer. Those same sources told Lai that the Haslams would be willing to put up half of the money and would look to cobble together regional, state, and private funding for the rest.” (Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam say stadium options are $1B renovation or a new $2B dome outside the city)
In my opinion, the Browns should build a new dome stadium. When you look across the landscape, it’s the cities with dome stadiums that are bringing in the major events, including the Super Bowl, Men’s Final Four, and WrestleMania. The city of Cleveland has hosted some big events during the past few years, most notably the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, the 2021 NFL Draft, and the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. From April 4-7, the city of Cleveland is going to host the Women’s Final Four and then on Aug. 3, WWE SummerSlam is coming to Cleveland. With all these major events occurring in the city, it is clear that Cleveland is capable of hosting major events, but until the Browns build a new stadium with a dome, I don’t think those major events will come to the city.
NFL: Tackling Gets Changed and the Kickoff Will Look Very Different
During the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando, the owners approved a new rule proposal to ban the swivel hip-drop tackle. The NFL defines a hip-drop tackle as a tackle where the defender “grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and also “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee. The violation will result in a 15-yard penalty if flagged in games.
The owners also approved a complete overhaul to how the kickoff is going to work during the upcoming season, as kickers will continue to kick from the 35-yard line, but the other 10 players on the kickoff team will line up at the receiving team's 40-yard line. At least nine members of the return team will line up in a "setup zone" between the 35- and 30-yard lines. Up to two returners can line up in a "landing zone" between the goal and 20-yard lines.
No one other than the kicker and returner(s) can move until the ball hits the ground or hits a player inside the landing zone. Touchbacks will be marked at the 30-yard line, and no fair catches will be allowed. In the event a team wants to attempt an onside kick, it will have to inform officials of its intent and would then be allowed to use the NFL's traditional formation. No surprise onside kicks will be allowed.
To learn more about the new kickoff format, Click Here.
NFL: Schedule News
Over the course of the past week, we’ve gotten a few pieces of news when it comes to the 2024 NFL Schedule:
The 2024 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Chicago Bears against the Houston Texans
Despite Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday this year, the NFL is going to put on two games
The Philadelphia Eagles will be the designated home team for the Week 1 game in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6.
Peacock will exclusively stream the Week 1 game
It certainly sounds like the Cleveland Browns will be the Eagles opponent for the game down in Brazil, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
MLB: The Yankees and Astros Will “Exchange Pleasantries” to Open the 2024 Season
The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros have one of MLB's most heated rivalries. Since 2015, the Yankees and the Astros have met four times in the playoffs, with Houston winning each time. Three of those playoff meetings were in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), including the 2017 season where the Astros were amid sign-stealing. The Astros also threw a combined no-hitter against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on June 25, 2022. So there’s a lot of history between the Yankees and the Astros, though the Astros have mostly dominated the rivalry. To open the 2024 season, New York and Houston will “exchange pleasantries” in a four-game series at Minute Maid Park in the “Space City”, Houston, TX.
Josh’s Random Thoughts: Two Big Returns to the State of Pennsylvania
NHL: On Tuesday, March 26, the Carolina Hurricanes took on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division matchup at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. Hurricanes left winger Jake Guentzel played with the Penguins for the 2016-2017 season until midway through the 23-24 season, and he was a key player in the Penguins run to the Stanley Cup in 2017. Tuesday night marked Guentzel’s first game back in the “Steel City” since he was traded to Carolina back on March 7. Guentzel was my favorite player on the Penguins, so it’s really weird for me to see him in another team’s jersey, especially another team in the Metro Division.
The Penguins spoiled Guentzel’s return to the “Steel City” as Pittsburgh defeated Carolina 4-1.
NBA: On Wednesday, March 27, the Los Angeles Clippers took on the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. Clippers All-Star guard James Harden made his return to Philly. Harden was with the Sixers for the 2021-22 and the 2022-23 seasons. The Sixers thought Harden would be the missing piece that would finally get them over the hump, but that was far from the case, as they got eliminated in the Conference Semifinals in both seasons. This season, Harden forced his way out of Philly to get to the Clippers, which only added to the anger from the Philly crowd.
Harden and the Clippers edged out the 76ers 108-107.
Check out the latest episode of Championship Rings with me and Brandon Lewis.
Championship Rings is a sports debate podcast where Brandon Lewis (the editor of The SportsRoom) and I debate the hottest topics in sports every Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter (X).
In this episode, Brandon and I discuss the NFL Rule Changes that are going into effect for the 2024 season, the Cleveland Browns Stadium Situation, March Madness, NBA action, and we make our 2024 World Series Predictions.